


One, Two, Three

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, M/M, Maybe a happy ending, Pre-Slash, Sad, two lonely people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 18:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4715675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the lovely karasu_hime who gave the prompt “Christmas Eve meetings”. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2009.</p>
    </blockquote>





	One, Two, Three

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the lovely karasu_hime who gave the prompt “Christmas Eve meetings”. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2009.

**One**

A Hogwarts Christmas could be a lonely one if, like Severus Snape, you had no one who wanted you. It was to be a Christmas spent away from home for him and although he had had no say in the matter he had told his classmates that he wanted to stay and work on his Potions. Only a few had believed him.

No matter what kind of Christmas he had though, he would be guaranteed to get the requisite gifts from the Headmaster and the sycophantic presents from a select few of his classmates with Potions homework due in the New Year. That wasn’t really the same as having someone who wanted to give you a gift, just because, though. Not that Snape was interested in giving or receiving such a thing.

Snape had nearly managed to get out of all the Christmas festivities, preferring his own company to the soft-hearted looks of his teachers, but the Headmaster had been too cunning for him and he had found himself agreeing to attend the next day’s feast. It was easy to forget sometimes that Dumbledore was cleverer than he looked. It would not pay to let his guard down around him again. But for now he was alone, outside in the cold and, as he believed, forgotten.

So it was with not a little surprise that he was accosted by one of the school owls on this Christmas Eve as he was walking around the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Tied around its legs was a note that read,

> “Merry Christmas, Severus,
> 
> I hope you have a wonderful time, even if you can’t be with your family. Here’s to many more potions assignments.
> 
> Remus.”  
> 

And next to the note was a years subscription to _Potions Weekly._

Snape’s first reaction was to tear it to pieces. What did he want with a gift from a _Gryffindor_ after all? Especially _this_ Gryffindor. He was a blockhead and completely unsuited to the delicate preparation of potions.

But it would be useful, and he certainly couldn’t afford it himself. In fact, he was surprised that Lupin could. But he wouldn’t return the favour. If Lupin was daft enough to lavish money on him, then that was his own affair.

**Two**

Snow whirled about the castle and Snape found himself shivering on the steps outside, his cloak pulled closely around him. He couldn’t believe that once again he found himself obeying a summons from a Gryffindor. If this was an elaborate hoax, then Lupin was going to be sorry. Very sorry indeed.

“Sorry I’m late,” the boy himself declared. “I couldn’t get away from the others.”

Snape looked up and noted with some amusement that Lupin was wrapped in a series of mismatched clothes, none of which looked like they belonged to him. His hair was also an untidy mess and he looked not unlike he’d been dragged through a hedge backwards. If it gave him a somewhat rakish air, Snape immediately silenced the thought.

“Don’t you have a coat of your own, Lupin?”

“I couldn’t find it,” Lupin replied briskly. “Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”

Snape hesitated, a slight twinge at having upset Lupin easily masked behind a sneer. No doubt his foolish friends had been playing yet more of their pranks. At the thought Snape nearly turned around and went back inside. There were plenty of other things he could be doing.

“Well?” Lupin asked, pausing in his stride. “Are you coming or not?”

Snape nodded after a moment and walked quickly to Lupin’s side. His curiosity was going to land him into trouble one of these days.

“This better be good.”

“Oh, it is,” Lupin replied, his smile dazzling.

Snape thought that just having some company this Christmas Eve was enough. But he would never say as much. He had a reputation to uphold.

**Three**

There was a time that Christmas Eve wasn’t a massive disappointment, but Snape had difficulty remembering such days. At least, he told himself that there was no point in wallowing in such memories. Too much had happened. Too many lives lost, too much darkness. And now here he was holed up in Spinner’s End, alone as usual. There were no decorations, no fire in the fireplace, just dust and gloom and loneliness. Once he would have convinced himself that that was enough. Now he knew better. And was just as alone.

At least at Hogwarts he had had his complaints to keep him company. There was nothing that had made him feel more at home than a vitriolic rant that very few took seriously. And Dumbledore, the old, stubborn fool, would always give him a suitably cheery and thoroughly idiotic present. But he had never thrown any of them away. Not even the garish socks.

He’d never thrown _any_ of his presents away – not the ones from Dumbledore or McGonagall, nor the ones from his mother or Lily, or even those from the insufferable werewolf. Although there had been a time when he had wanted to burn those all together. He had just locked them away and then buried this Gryffindorish sentimentality into the deepest recesses of his mind.

Scowling at his own soft-headedness he stalked off to the kitchen, only to pull out his wand and point it at the man sitting at his table. It took a moment before his eyes adjusted to the gloom but he would recognise that slumped posture anywhere.

“Hello, Severus,” Remus Lupin said to him with a tired smile.

A teapot and two cups had been laid out, as well as a plate of mince pies. For once, Snape was struck dumb.

“Merry Christmas.”

Snape, lowering his wand slightly but keeping it firmly clasped in his hand, eyed Lupin incredulously.

“How did you get in here?”

Lupin indicated the back door, which Snape could see had been forced open.

“You broke in? Why?”

Lupin sighed. “Because I missed you. And I have no one else.” He pointed at the chair opposite. “Why don’t you join me?”

Snape hesitated, requisite scowl plastered on his face, but his acquiescence seemed inevitable. And so he sat.


End file.
